Every day, members of the HART Hub Waterloo Region (HHWR) Outreach Team walk alongside community members experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use challenges, meeting people where they are, and connecting them with trusted providers of care and supports across the Region.
House of Friendship team members include addiction counsellors and ‘connection coordinators’ who help individuals navigate the complex network of health and social support services across Waterloo Region.
Their shared goal is to make it easier for people to find and access the care and resources they need.
“When people are struggling, they don’t know where to go, and they don’t know who to talk to,” said Holly, a House of Friendship connection coordinator.
Support may include assistance with paperwork, connections to housing or emergency shelter, or accessing food, clothing, and other essential services. For individuals focused on meeting their most basic needs, even these steps can feel overwhelming.
“When you get into that survival mode, that hopeless feeling, it’s like you are just stuck,” said Holly. “It’s like you are in quicksand and you just can’t pull yourself out. You need some help.”
The Outreach Team is just one component of the broader HHWR network – a coordinated system of programs and partners working across Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the rural townships to provide integrated, people-centered care.
As part of this network, House of Friendship recently expanded its services with the opening of a 12-bed Transitional Housing Program this spring. This abstinence-based program provides short-term housing and supportive programming for individuals ready to address their substance use, creating an additional pathway toward greater stability and permanent housing.
Impact Stat:
11% of chronically homeless people in Waterloo Region struggle with substance use.
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